I am glad I didn't have to experience the dumpster-fire that was Fyre Fest — the 2017 festival turned Lord of the Flies real-life experience co-organized by Ja Rule and entrepreneur Billy McFarland that went viral on Twitter. But, I would like to be privy to every facepalm-worthy, culinarily-dubious detail, without any of the actual suffering. In other words, I'd love a documentary on it — and Netflix has delivered.
The streaming service posted a 20-second teaser of FYRE (produced by Danny Gabai at Vice Studios along with Chris Smith, Library Films and Mick Purzycki at Jerry Media) on Twitter, giving us a first-hand look at what it was like to pay between $4,000 and $12,000 for luxury accommodations, music, and food in the Bahamas only to be greeted with "disaster relief tents," no music, and some bread and cheese.
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Here's the dinner they fed us tonight. Literally slices of bread, cheese, and salad with no dressing. #fyrefraud #fyrefestival #dumpsterfyre pic.twitter.com/NmNXakSFlq
— Trevor DeHaas (@trev4president) April 28, 2017
The documentary appears to use actual footage from influencers and attendees who thought they were about to document the best time of their lives. There are clips of beaches, partying, and even an unexplained pig, before the mood changes dramatically.
"Turn this bus right around," a woman can be heard saying in the trailer as she pulls up to a barren field of white tents. There are clips of people walking through the field, carrying mattresses, and sleeping on the floor of the airport. It's just as bleak as it looked on Twitter.
The disarray extended beyond the facilities, with incoming flights canceled and attendees stranded on the island. While the creators maintain that the festival was not a scam, McFarland and Ja Rule were sued in May to the tune of $100 million, and McFarland was arrested over the summer by the FBI for wire fraud, for which he pled guilty in October. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
Netflix isn't the only company bringing us more Fyre Fest. Hulu has also landed a docuseries about the incident from Billboard, Mic, and The Cinemart. Both documentaries are slated for 2019, with Netflix's premiering January 18. Watch the sneak peek below.
Get your exclusive first look at FYRE — a revealing new doc about the insanity and rapid unraveling of Fyre Festival: the greatest party that never happened. Premieres January 18. #NetflixNewsWeek pic.twitter.com/B4iaR3UJwM
— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) December 10, 2018
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